If you’ve spent any time on CBS or Paramount+ lately, you know the vibe of Tracker. Justin Hartley plays Colter Shaw, a guy who finds people for money but can’t seem to find his own peace of mind. But the biggest question haunting the fandom isn't about a missing hiker or a runaway witness. It’s simpler than that. Tracker where is Bobby? Or more accurately, where is the eldest Shaw brother, Russell, and what exactly happened to their father on that cliff?
Actually, let’s get the names straight first because the internet keeps mixing them up. Bobby Exley is the tech genius played by Eric Graise. He’s the guy in the chair, the one hacking into servers while Colter is out in the woods. But when people search for "where is Bobby," they’re often subconsciously blending him with the other ghost in Colter's life: his brother Russell.
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It's a mess of family trauma and satellite pings.
The Mystery of the Shaw Family Tree
Colter Shaw is a "reward seeker." He’s a survivalist who was raised in a weird, isolated compound by a father who was basically a paranoid genius. Then, the father died. He went over a cliff. Colter saw his brother, Russell, standing at the top.
Naturally, the police and the rest of the family—including their sister Dory—have different versions of the truth. For years, Russell was the primary suspect in their father's death. He fled. He disappeared into the shadows of the military and private contracting. This is the "missing" person that actually drives the show’s emotional engine.
Bobby, on the other hand, is usually right where he belongs: behind a computer screen. But fans constantly worry about his absence in specific episodes. Why? Because Tracker has a rotating door of guest stars and sidekicks. Sometimes Bobby is the primary support, sometimes it's Reenie Greene, the sharp-tongued lawyer. When Bobby isn't in an episode, the "where is Bobby" searches spike because the chemistry between Hartley and Graise is honestly one of the best parts of the show.
Why the "Tracker Where is Bobby" Search is Exploding
There’s a specific reason you’re likely looking for this right now. In the first season, Bobby Exley’s backstory was teased but rarely fully explored. We know he’s a brilliant coder. We know he has a physical disability that doesn't stop him from being the most capable person in the room. But because the show focuses so heavily on Colter’s nomadic lifestyle, Bobby often feels like a digital ghost.
He isn't missing. He's just underutilized.
But if we’re talking about the narrative disappearance, we have to talk about Jensen Ackles. When Ackles was cast as Russell Shaw, the "missing brother" plotline finally got a face. Suddenly, the question of "where is the brother" became the most important thing in the series.
The Russell Shaw Factor
For most of Season 1, Russell was a shadow. We saw him in flashbacks. We heard Colter talk about him with a mix of fear and longing. Then, episode 12 happened. "Off the Books" finally brought Russell into the light.
- The Reunion: It wasn't a fight. It was a mission.
- The Reveal: Russell claims he didn't kill their father. He says he saw someone else in the woods that night.
- The Departure: Just as quickly as he arrived, Russell vanished again to deal with his own "private contractor" problems.
This is where the confusion happens. People search for "Bobby" because he's a fan favorite they want more of, but the actual plot-heavy disappearance involves Russell. It’s a classic case of character name displacement in search trends.
Breaking Down Bobby Exley’s Role
Bobby is Colter’s lifeline. Without him, Colter is just a guy with a trailer and a good knife. Bobby provides the "magic" that makes the rewards possible. He bypasses facial recognition, tracks burner phones, and cleans up digital footprints.
Honestly, the show handles Bobby’s character with a lot of respect. He’s not a "token" character. He has agency. He has his own life. But because he doesn't travel with Colter in that iconic GMC Sierra, he feels geographically untethered. He lives in a high-tech office that looks like it belongs in a Silicon Valley startup, which creates a massive visual contrast to the dirt and grime of Colter’s daily work.
Is Bobby Leaving the Show?
No. There’s been zero word from CBS or the showrunners that Eric Graise is departing. The character is a staple of the Tracker universe. In fact, as the show moves into its second and third seasons, the plan seems to be deepening the "team" dynamic.
Think of it like House. You have the lead, but the team is what keeps the engine running. Bobby is the Greg Sanders or the Garcia of this world. He's the one who adds the "tech" to the "tracker."
The Real Search: What Happened to the Father?
If you’re digging into the "where is" questions, you eventually hit the wall of the Shaw patriarch. Ashton Shaw was a professor who went off the deep end. He thought people were coming for him. He took his kids into the wilderness to teach them how to survive "the collapse."
When he died, the family shattered.
- Mary Dove Shaw (The Mother): She knows more than she’s telling. She told Colter to stay away from Russell.
- Dory Shaw (The Sister): She wants to move on. She’s a professor, trying to live a normal life, and she hates that Colter is still digging.
- Russell (The Outcast): He’s been on the run, or at least living off the grid, for twenty years.
The reason people keep searching for "where is" these characters is that Tracker is essentially a mystery wrapped inside a procedural. Every week there’s a new case, but the "Big Mystery" is the Shaw family.
Real Talk: The "Missing" Bobby Episodes
If you’re watching an episode and wondering why Bobby isn't there, it usually comes down to budget and narrative focus. Tracker is expensive to film. They shoot in rugged locations around British Columbia (doubling for the US). Keeping the cast small in certain episodes allows them to spend more on the "action" beats.
Also, some cases just don't need a hacker. If Colter is tracking a hiker in a dead zone with no cell towers, Bobby’s skill set is narratively useless. In those moments, the writers focus on Colter’s tracking skills—reading the broken branches, the flattened grass, the "percentage of probability" he’s always talking about.
How to Keep Up With the Shaw Mystery
If you’re trying to track the actual "whereabouts" of these characters, you have to watch the "Family" episodes specifically. These are usually the premiere, the mid-season finale, and the season finale.
The lore of Tracker is spread thin. You get five minutes of family drama for every forty minutes of "case of the week." It’s a frustrating way to watch if you’re only there for the overarching story, but it’s what keeps the show on the air. It’s the X-Files formula. Monster of the week vs. The Alien Conspiracy.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re caught up on the show and still feel like you’re missing something, you aren’t. The show is intentionally keeping Russell and the truth about the father at arm’s length. It’s the "carrot" on the stick.
For the Bobby fans: check out Eric Graise’s social media. He often shares behind-the-scenes looks at his "office" set. It’s actually one of the most detailed sets on the show, filled with real tech gear that makes his hacking scenes feel slightly more grounded than the usual "Hollywood hacking."
- Rewatch Season 1, Episode 12: This is the definitive "Brother" episode. It clears up 90% of the confusion about Russell.
- Pay Attention to the Mother’s Letters: There are several moments where Mary Dove Shaw is seen hiding or burning correspondence. That’s where the "where is" answers truly lie.
- Check the Credits: If Bobby isn't in the first five minutes, he’s likely not in the episode. Save yourself the wait.
The mystery of Tracker isn't just about where people are physically. It's about where they are emotionally. Colter is looking for everyone except himself. And as long as he’s looking, we’ll be searching for "where is Bobby," "where is Russell," and "what happened in those woods."
The show has been renewed, so we’re going to get answers. Eventually. Just don't expect them to come all at once. That’s not how rewards work. You have to earn them, one trail at a time.
Actionable Insight: To stay ahead of the curve on Tracker lore, focus on the episodes written by Elwood Reid himself. These tend to be the "mythology" episodes that actually move the needle on the Shaw family mystery and Bobby's evolving role within Colter's inner circle.